Stay in the Loop

A group of pupils from Great Wood Community Primary School joined friends from seven other Trust schools on 10th March to continue their journey of faith at the 2026 TMPF Trust RE Retreat.

Staged at Great Wood Hall in Upper Tean, the Retreat focused upon exploring Peace and being Mindful, which, alongside Trust and Friendship, make up the TMPF Trust values.

Led by staff from across TMPF Trust, the sessions looked at peace and mindfulness through Bible stories, reflections, mindful crafts and art. They also built individual peace and mindfulness through 'Space Makers' – which is designed to help children improve their mental health and well-being through reflective practices.

Speaking of the retreat, TMPF Trust Collective Worship Leader, Chris Casey, said, “Exploring ways to achieve peacefulness, the children enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities and even made a few friends along the way!

“Children expressed how calming they found the day and how much they enjoyed being able to take time to still and reflect upon their own feelings. It was a very positive experience for all and allowed the children to build new connections across different schools.”

More than one hundred pupils from TMPF Trust’s family of schools joined together to sing in harmony to an audience of thousands at the UK’s largest indoor music venue.

Young singers from five TMPF Trust schools (Bishop Rawle C.E. Primary, Dilhorne Endowed C.E. Primary, Great Wood Primary, St. Werburgh’s C.E. Primary and The Valley Primary) rehearsed for several months prior to being part of a combined choir of 9,000 children at the event staged at Manchester’s Coop Arena on 13th February.

The concert allowed the children and staff from the five schools to follow in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in entertainment and perform in the arena which holds in excess of 20,000 people.

TMPF Trust Music Leader, Mandi Whiteley commented, “What an amazing experience we had at Young Voices. The children have been working hard since September to learn the songs and that all paid off when we were singing our hearts out alongside thousands of others and with a fabulous live band.

"We threw our best moves with the dance group Urban Strides and sang a rousing chorus of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ with the rising Manchester-born pop star Alex Spencer. It was a long day but absolutely worth it!"

Many children were lucky enough to have received exciting presents for Christmas which offer them access to the internet and the online world.

As part of our commitment to keeping children safe, prior to Christmas we sent a link to all parents/carers for parental guides to many of these devices, just to offer a little more insight into how they are used, and also how they could be a risk if not managed properly.

Over the course of the year, we will share information on different online platforms and devices, including the necessary age restrictions, so parents and carers can be informed and continue to support their children with ways to stay safe.

Click here to visit our page containing parental guides to keeping children safe online.